Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 2, and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by FR 3051418.
Regarding Claim 1,
A brake unit for a hydraulic brake system of a vehicle, the brake unit comprising: at least one fluid reservoir (10, Figs. 1-3) comprising at least one connector (with 16) formed thereon; a housing (9) comprising at least one receiving seat (with 19) formed therein; wherein: the at least one fluid reservoir adapted to supply a hydraulic pressure medium to the housing, and the housing adapted to receive the at least one connector of the fluid reservoir into a respective one of the at least one receiving seat of the housing; at least one form-fitting fastening point (with one of 11) for securing the fluid reservoir in position relative to the housing, wherein the fastening point comprises at least one reservoir interface (11, part of 10) formed on the fluid reservoir and at least one counterpart interface (on 4) situated outside the fluid reservoir; wherein the counterpart interface is part of a separate installation component (4) that is adapted to be coupled to the housing, and wherein the fastening point is secured with a screw (“The remote reservoir 10 is fixed to the awning 4 by fastening means, not shown, such as fastening screws passing through lugs 11, only one of which is visible, integral with the remote reservoir 10.”) which interacts with a thread arranged in the counterpart interface.
Regarding Claim 2,
The brake unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the separate installation component is provided for the installation of the brake unit on the vehicle (ex. Fig. 2).
Regarding Claim 4,
The brake unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the separate installation component is a flange element (part of 4) which is mechanically connected to the housing and which comprises at least one installation interface (other 11) for a screw connection for the purpose of fastening the brake unit to the vehicle.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Neumann et al. (DE 102012212744) in view of Oishi (JP H11-139300).
Regarding Claim 1, Neumann teaches
A brake unit for a hydraulic brake system of a vehicle, the brake unit comprising: at least one fluid reservoir (2, Fig. 2) comprising at least one connector formed thereon (“By means of a brake master cylinder 10 plugged neck 9 a hydraulic connection of the container interior is realized with a brake system”) ; a housing (10); wherein: the at least one fluid reservoir adapted to supply a hydraulic pressure medium to the housing, at least one form-fitting fastening point (at 5, 6) for securing the fluid reservoir in position relative to the housing, wherein the fastening point comprises at least one reservoir interface (with 5) formed on the fluid reservoir and at least one counterpart interface (with 6 on 11) situated outside the fluid reservoir; wherein the counterpart interface is part of a separate installation component (11) that is adapted to be coupled to the housing, and wherein the fastening point is secured with a screw (screw 6) which interacts with a thread arranged in the counterpart interface.
Neumann does not explicitly teach
a housing comprising at least one receiving seat formed therein; and the housing adapted to receive the at least one connector of the fluid reservoir into a respective one of the at least one receiving seat of the housing
Neumann does not show the connection in detail.
Oishi teaches
For a brake unit,
a housing (51) comprising at least one receiving seat (with 53 in Fig. 4 but also for 21 and 22, see Fig. 4: “In assembling the reservoir 2 and the hydraulic booster 5, the third hydraulic fluid supply port 23 of the reservoir 2 is connected to the third housing 53 of the hydraulic booster 5 by the third hydraulic fluid supply port. Part 23 And the first and second working fluid supply ports 21 and 22 are inserted in the same manner as the first and second working fluid supply ports 21 and 22.”) formed therein; and the housing adapted to receive the at least one connector (23, or 21 or 22) of the fluid reservoir (2) into a respective one of the at least one receiving seat of the housing.
Since both references are directed to brake units, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the connection between the connector and receiving seat to be as claimed as taught by Oishi in order to provide an appropriate fluid connection between the housing and the reservoir that would perform equally well with predictable results.
Regarding Claim 2,
The brake unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the separate installation component is provided for the installation of the brake unit on the vehicle (Fig. 2).
Regarding Claim 3,
The brake unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fluid reservoir further comprises a filling port (4) for filling the fluid reservoir with the hydraulic pressure medium, the filling port and the reservoir interface being arranged substantially at opposite ends of the fluid reservoir along a longitudinal axis that is oriented transversely with respect to the insertion direction of the connector piece (example annotation below).
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Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Neumann in view of Oishi as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Gautier (US 5027600).
Regarding Claim 4, Neumann as modified teaches
The brake unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the separate installation component is a flange element (11) which is mechanically connected to the housing.
Neumann as modified does not explicitly teach
and which comprises at least one installation interface for a screw connection for the purpose of fastening the brake unit to the vehicle.
Gautier teaches
For a brake unit,
a flange element (13, Figs. 1-3) which is mechanically connected to the housing (part of 9) and which comprises at least one installation interface for a screw connection (15) for the purpose of fastening the brake unit to the vehicle (at 1).
“The main objects sought after, namely the reduction in the overall size of that part of the device located in the engine compartment, are thus achieved.” (Col. 2, lines 40-43).
Since the references are directed to brake units, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the flange element to include an installation interface as claimed as taught by Gautier in order to reduce in the overall size of that part of the device located in the engine compartment.
Conclusion
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MICHAEL QUANDT
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3745
/MICHAEL QUANDT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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